Fixed Gear Australia Circumnavigation Record Attempt

(About to fall asleep on a rest stop bench top so this may be brief, can update better soon.)

In March this year I raced the 5500km self-supported bikepacking Indian Pacific Wheel Race from Perth to Sydney. I decided to race on a fixed gear and surprisingly so did someone else (shout out to Pawel for putting me through hell!). I spent a week recovering and then had the itch to venture further up the coast. I rode 1000km or so to Gold Coast and Brisbane where I spent a week hanging out with friends. Then I got silly and decided to see if I could make it to Cairns, about another 2500km or so, before my flight home departed.

I made it and went back to London, where I had my heart smashed by a beautiful girl. I moped about for almost 2 months but had a secret: I intentionally left my bike in Cairns with a dotwatcher because I intended to come back and finish the full circumnavigation of Australia (15,000-16,000km).

Anyway, here I am, back on the road at the end of Day 2 of Round 2. I think it’s about a 7,000km stretch but who really knows. Will find out soon enough. Following the paved highways to Darwin and then down to Perth and the start point of the IPWR.

Apparently someone did this on a fixed gear in about 1900, back when a lot of it wasn’t even roads. He took roughly 250 days. What a legend. Anyway, I’m on about 120 days elapsed (37 days actually riding) and aim to finish this last stretch in 4 weeks (250km a day average). A modern record and first to even dare to do it in over 100 years!

Would love to come back to this thread occasionally and update when I can - and also hear any gossip you have if you’re following along. Very lonely and dark out here at times. Extremely motivating to see encouraging words when I have the chance.

I’ve attched a photo I took today near Mount Surprise, QLD.

By the way, I’m doing this on a Dolan FXE frame I bought from someone on here! :D

Also...

Strava: Vegan Joseph Kendrick
Instagram: @josephxkendrick

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Great work mate! Inspiring. Good luck.

New levels of 'getting over a beautiful girl' tho... hope no-one breaks my heart so bad I cycle around Australia...

I wondered why you went quiet for abit.
It was all a plan! Good luck with this. Be following from a far

Followed! This is all sorts of awesome.

Go Joe!

Whilst I admire your resolve and grit, I'll stick to Crème de menthe and oven chips the next time my heart is broken.

Do please check-in when ever you can.

I want to get in near the start of what could be an epic thread! Good luck fella!!

Wow, amazing! I will look forward to reading about your wild adventure. Good luck!

Chips are about the only vegan option at the roadhouses. It’s essentially a Tour de Frites!!

Good luck with this, Joseph. It will be an amazing experience. Crossing the Nullarbor is one thing but this is way more remote and far quieter. I expect the roadhouses will be further apart, smaller, shorter hours, etc, so logistically and mentally harder.
Look forward to hearing about it as you progress, and afterwards.

Follow his gram. Stories are wicked.

Brilliant news, go for it Joseph.

Day 4 drawing to a close. Almost 1000km on the clock (hopefully by the time I’ve found my rest area kip spot!). Gaps between refreshments are vast here. Currently working my way through a series of 155km, 190km and 193km...

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how much food you buying at each stop? moar pics

Any more crocodiles?

Eating and drinking as much as I fucking can. Usually sit for 2 hours going through every type of soft drink they have and smash a couple of plates of large chips. Feel sick. Only vegan choice for food to carry at this stop is nuts... About to go for a 103km night slog to the next rest stop area for a bench to sleep on.

This was a replica of an 8+ metre long croc they found in Normanton where I was last night. Kinda went to sleep last night envisaging one crawling out of the bush. RIP.

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That mouth looks like a cosy bivvy site

Awesome posts - following

Vegan going round Australia too? Wow, more impressed if you stick with that than the ride around Australia

Good luck!

woop woop my ex biek lives :)

Is that pink paint or a tape wrap job ?

Living the dream, go for it Joe :)

Just battled headwinds for 4 hours. Geared down from 48/16 to 48/19. Found vegan Ben & Jerry’s at a supermarket at the town. Worth every second. In Cloncurry, about to head west (tailwind) and get to Mount Isa tonight where I can get a veggie burger at Hungry Jack’s and a motel bed (have slept on rest stop bench tops the last 4 nights).

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Hero. I'll be keeping an eye on this. Watched your Everesting video a while back.

Keep up the good work

Following on the gram, makes me feel lazy for getting one of those new-fangled geared bikes. Keep it up!

Pretty certain I ticked over 10,000km today. Here’s the trail of destruction so far (plus a few touch-ups from missing data and weird bugs with the tool). Should be hitting Northern Territory tomorrow if I make it to the last town in Queensland before the roadhouse shuts!

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how much more to go?